Novel metal complexes of boronated chlorin e6 for photodynamic therapy

Various structural modifications of chlorins are aimed at optimization of biomedical characteristics of these plant-derived tetrapyrrolic compounds. In particular, conjugation with boron polyhedra improves the efficacy of chlorin e6 derivatives as antitumor photosensitizers. To obtain the compounds that may possess several clinically favorable characteristics, we synthesized a series of metal chlorin e6 conjugates with 1-carba-closo-dodecaborate anion that contain Pd(II), Sn(IV) or Zn(II) in the coordination sphere of the chlorin macrocycle. The compounds were synthesized by alkylation of amino group in chlorin e6 metal complexes with 1-trifluoromethanesulfonylmethyl-1-carba-closo-dodecaborate cesium. The water soluble Pd(II) complex of chlorin e6 13(1)-N-{2-[N-(1-carba-closo-dodecaboran-1-yl)methyl]aminoethyl}amide-15(2), 17(3)-dimethyl ester (compound 6) evoked low dark cytotoxicity; in striking contrast, 6 potently sensitized human tumor cells to illumination with monochromatic red light. Confocal microscopic studies demonstrated that photoactivation of 6 rapidly (within minutes) changed the patterns of intracellular drug distribution from diffuse cytoplasmic to clustered perinuclear. Co-localization experiments revealed that 6 associated with lysosomes in illuminated cells. These events were paralleled by alteration of mitochondrial shape, a decrease of mitochondrial transmembrane electric potential and the loss of plasma membrane impermeability for propidium iodide, the latter being a hallmark of cell necrosis. Similar mechanisms of cell photodamage were found for structurally close Pd(II) complex of chlorin with neutral carborane and for Sn(IV) chlorin conjugated with the anionic carborane. Thus, metal complexes of carboranylchlorins are efficient photosensitizers capable of triggering rapid necrosis. These compounds are promising for further development as multipotent agents in which each moiety, i.e., metal, the chlorin macrocycle and the boron substituent, as well as the entire complex, can be useful in cancer diagnostics and treatment.